It was somewhat satisfying seeing Kael in such a condition. I ran my palm along my tongue, ingesting the blood. This was my plan.

  I could still listen to Kael, but if anything went awry, I could still utilize the special connection and hurt him before he could touch me. I raised an eyebrow.

  "What's your proposal?" I asked, resting my hands at my side.

  Kael took a breath. "Back in your holding cell, I told you of my plan."

  "To frame me for what you're gonna do to this place, I'm... familiar. What does that have to do with anything?"

  Kael raised his head slightly, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "Even if you ingest my blood and attempt to use it, you can't hurt me in any way. The difference between a demi-god and someone like you is... vast."

  Another bottle on the counter shattered behind Kael, but this time, he didn't flinch or anything like that. Instead, he grabbed the fragments of the bottle, holding them up in mid-air. In an instant, the fragments turned an inky-black color, before whipping in my direction. I flinched, my eyes shutting tightly, but I froze when nothing actually touched me.

  The fragments of the broken bottle were mere inches from my neck, as Kael had stopped them. He continued speaking.

  "I've already burnt villages to the ground like Clifton, but this time... I feel the need to do something differently."

  Kael looked past me, looking outside. "Seraphis Kingdom has something beneath its many buildings, mundane politics and fancy lifestyle... something ancient and powerful, something... that belonged to my father."

  "Like what? Will it... will you hurt anyone there? Will you do to Seraphis what you're planning to do to Clifton?" I sputtered, my heart hammering in my chest.

  Kael shook his head. "That's merely the final piece, Silas. After the ashes of Clifton and its people soak into the ground, and the very faith of Khorvath is engraved into the soil of this very establishment, that's when the mystical connection is formed.

  "What's beneath the surface is a temple, a mausoleum dedicated to my father. Allegedly, I also believe it's the very place where he mutilated the surface of the world, taking everything away with it."

  "What the hell are you going on about? What is this deal you're proposing to me?" I stepped forward, asking angrily.

  Kael huffed. "One way or another, this ordeal, this matter would catch wind of the emperor—my emperor—Emperor Katsuki, and he won't approve."

  Hearing these words, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You're admitting you'll know your ruler won't approve of your actions? From what I know, your ruler doesn't even know I exist, so framing me as a suspect wouldn't hold a candle to someone like you... it'll be ironic seeing the emperor's most trusted advisor sink in the mud."

  "That's why I request your aid, Silas," Kael stammered out.

  "You think I'd let myself get framed for the massacre of a small village and just accept that? Now that I'm thinking, why hasn't your ruler found out about the other villages you've burnt down?"

  "Because they're far out in the countryside, far from any other villages or major empires. Doing this with Clifton a days-walk away is a gamble I will take if it means my fathers presence graces the world again. Have you seen how news travels far and fast? Word of this incident will be in the papers before sunrise."

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  "The papers would lack evidence though, as either you or me would have fled the scene mere moments after it catches fire. Unless someone manages to survive and give a detailed account, someone could say the fire was started by accident by, let's say, a bonfire."

  "That won't matter... the emperor knows I work in Clifton, so even with the papers remaining ambiguous, he'd know I was there, and the fact that I'd still be alive, standing beside his throne like always, would surely cause problems," Kael stated.

  My fists clenched. "Let's say for some reason that I do assist you in a massacre of this village, what the hell would I get in return? I'd already go back to see my friends, maybe take them out of the kingdom to escape Khorvath after the ritual concludes."

  "You'd get answers, Isaac."

  The words hung in the air for a moment.

  "Answers?"

  Kael's expression remained calm and placid. "Your memories... they're blanketed, concealed. With my help, with Khorvath's help... you can learn all that you've lost, and all that you seek to know about yourself."

  I fell silent, soaking up Kael's words. For a split second, the proposal sounded nice, but it took me a split-second to realize something—I don't recall ever telling Kael about that detail of my past.

  "I never... told you that, Kael."

  "I know. Around a demi-god, not many things are hidden. I may not know what's inside your head, but I know they are countless pieces we can put together. You can realize who you are, why you're the way you are... you can finally figure out why you're such a... loser."

  Another bottle on the counter exploded behind Kael. This time, a few shards sprang forward, lodging into Kael's neck. I watched as crimson blood gushed forth, running down his throat and coating his pristine white shirt.

  "If it's something you can use to manipulate me, I'd rather remain the way I am... a damn loser, rather than someone you can twist to your own perfect whims."

  "Then... I suppose you'll have a worse time greeting my emperor's blade."

  Suddenly, the floor beneath us began to vibrate and shake. I watched as the earth began to split and crack, random fires sprouting out of nowhere. The Apocalypse sigil on my forehead burnt to an almost agonizing degree as I stumbled back, clenching it with gritted teeth.

  I didn't need an expert to tell me that the ritual was already beginning.

  "Don't worry about your friends. The ritual will only create a small anomaly in the underground ruins; it won't bring back the angel in an instant," Kael said with a smile.

  I only registered his words for a moment before bursting through the front doors, gauging what had already happened to the village.

  ...

  "Gaah!"

  Cosette cried out as the sharp teeth of the wolf-turned Rakkiounk punctured his left shoulder, shedding fresh blood. The citizens of Clifton had already scattered, rushing to gather weapons to combat the demonic creature. Crylla swiftly emerged from the shadows of a nearby building, leaping onto a rooftop and taking cover.

  She watched the chaos ensue, but a swift kick to her rib sent her stumbling to the ground.

  "Stop this madness!" I cried.

  Crylla smiled, rubbing the spot where my boot had met her ribs. "Kael has already commenced with the ritual, and you can't stop it."

  My heart sank as I looked at the fighting below. Cosette was struggling to combat the Rakkiounk, waving and jabbing a rusty shovel at the creature, but his blows failed to penetrate its thick hide.

  "Goddamnit!" I growled under my breath as the wings on my back expanded again.

  I flew up into the air, shouting down at the people. "Everyone get the hell out of here! Get out of here if you won't wanna fucking die!"

  It was as if no one had paid heed to my words. They all kept walking forward with weapons in hand. Torches were already lit, pitchworks, swords, and even miscellaneous house items were in the hands of everyone in Clifton, even the toddlers and young children.

  "Cosette!" I yelled out.

  The blonde-haired man momentarily looked away from the beast, looking up into the sky and at me. This reaction was drastically different from the others in the village. That's when it hit me—no one in the village except for Cosette had placed their faith indefinitely in Kael and Khorvath! The only reason Cosette would listen to me was because he wasn't in a state of mental and spiritual control.

  Kael had already amassed major control over them, making them forget about the castration and mutilation of the Seraphis rogues' leader, indoctrinated them into the faith, letting them partake in the Flamesrite Passage without a second thought, and sacrificing a piece of livestock without questioning the absurdity and brutality of it all.

  I couldn't scream at them or tell them that Kael was doing and planning horrible things to them because they wouldn't believe me. As these thoughts flashed through my mind, I continued to watch the ensuing fight between Cosette and the Rakkiounk.

  "It's hopeless, Silas," Kael spoke from behind me, standing in the center of the village.

  Below him, the Apocalypse sigil—the same sigil utilized in the sacrificial rituals—had begun to glow with a blood-red fervor.

  "They're too far down; they won't listen to a word you say. Even if I were to say something, I'd say it's more of Khovath that's influenced their minds."

  Kael looked at the pool of citizens marching down the streets with weapons in hand. "They crave violence much like my father did; they're blind to the consequence of bloodshed. Soon enough, their physical and mental bodies will slowly deteriorate, and they'll join my father in the place where He rests, until I bring him from the ashes of the ground."

  Kael suddenly lowered his head, chuckling under his breath. "In a way, you've already digested your Harbinger potion. You foretold the extinction of this town, and due to the unique status of this ritual—being linked to an Angel the likes of Khorvath—it was a minimal effort."

  Another small fire formed in Kael's palm, taking the form of the Order 7 potion of the Apocalypse pathway.

  "Drink up—"

  A sudden, unknown attack hit Kael in the back of the head, sending him forward into the dirt. The potion rolled from his grasp, landing beneath me.

  Shadows from buildings and under trees gathered to form an illusory figure, clad in a dark robe and having crimson eyes—The Umbridge!

  "Drink it, now!" They called out, levitating the Order 7 potion into my hands.